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War of 1812

Friday, February 8, 2013 12:00 AM

1813: It was May 27th, 1813 at Fort George, just off the shore of the Niagara River in present day Ontario. A large American Infantry of 4000 strong made its way across the river from the American Fort Niagara, gained from the British through Jay's Treaty of 1794. It was the middle of the War of 1812 and American forces were struggling to hold off the British invasion.

As the battle raged on, American troops overwhelmed their foes and pushed them into a retreat. Before they had a chance to fall back with all of their weaponry, the Americans took control of one of their cannons, a beautiful intricately carved 1760 Medium 12-pounder gun.

After its retrieval, it was engraved with the inscription "Taken at Fort George, Upper Canada, May 27, 1813," thus solidifying the American victory of the battle and serving as a trophy of the War of 1812.

That cannon now sits in the main lobby of the Watervliet Arsenal Museum to in honor the rise of early America. The museum itself houses hundreds of military antiques that range from the War of 1812 through to modern war technology. In addition to the extensive gallery of the progression of military tech, the museum also houses a functional recreation of an early 20th century machine shop.

The museum is just one small part of the massive Watervliet Arsenal. It is a gargantuan conglomerate of buildings and factories that still manufacture cannons as well as other military weapon parts.

In 1887, the Arsenal was designated as America's "cannon factory" and has since been producing the artillery needed for our armed forces.